Resonator for musical instruments



March'u, 1947.

AM. TYSON RESONATOR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Nov. 17, 1944 2Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

March 11, 1947.

A. M. TYSON 2,417,277

RESONATOR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Nov. 17. 1944 2 Shets-Sheet 2Patented Mar. 11, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,417,277 RESONATORFOR MUSICAL I NSTRUME N TS Archie M. Tyson, Dallas, Tex.

Application November 17, 1944, Serial No. 563,884

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a resonator for musical instruments and whileit is designed primarily for installation in pianos, it is to beunderstood that it can be employed to advantage in connection with anytype of stringed instrument.

The invention is designed primarily as an improvement upon the structuredisclosed in Patent 2,287,503, issued to me on June 23, 1942.

The invention has for its primary object the utilization of a vibratoryelement suspended in a new and novel manner whereby the resonance of theinstrument is improved and the period of vibration prolonged so that thetone produced is not only more sustained but also more pleasing in soundthan generally possible heretofore.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has beenshown.

In said drawing Figure l is a, section through a portion of a pianoshowing the present improvements combined therewith.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the resonator.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section through a portion of a sounding boardto which a modified form of resonator is applied, said resonator beingshown in plan.

Figure 4 is an elevation of a portion of a sounding board bridge towhich a resonator is applied.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the resonator and a portion of the bridgeshown in Fig. 4, the adjacent portion or" the sounding board being insection.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, i designates aportion of a sounding board to which a rib '2 is joined in the usualmanner. A stem 3 abuts at one end against the rib and is held firmlythereto by any suitable means, such as a screw t.

A stanchion of the piano is indicated in part at 5 and has a block 6attached to it. This block is designed to support the resonator which,as shown, comprises a single length of wood reduced in thickness at anintermediate point to provide a neck 1, an attaching end 8, and anelongated tongue G. The end 8 is held rigidly to the block 6 by screwsID or the like so that the resonator thus is held normally in a positionsubstantially parallel with the sounding board. When in its normalposition, that end of the tongue 9 nearest the neck I is in contact withthe stem 3 and is held tightly thereto by the screw 4 heretoforementioned. The other end portion of the tongue 9 carries a weight I lwhich can be in the form of a metal plug seated within the tongue.

A longitudinal slot 12 is formed in the tongue and suspended within thisslot is a coiled spring i3 one end of which is engaged by the screw lWhile the other end is fastened to the tongue by a screw it or the like.This spring has its convolutions out of contact with the tongue andconstitutes the resonant element of the device.

When the resonator is properly installed the spring is under tension andthe tongue 9 is in firm contact with the stem 3. Vibration of thestrings of the instrument results in transmission of the vibration fromthe sounding board through the rib 2 and stem 3 to the tongue 9 with theresult that the tensioned spring is also vibrated and a resonancecreated which sustains and otherwise improves the tone quality of theinstrument.

It is important that the spring-carrying member be fixedly joined tothesounding board so that it will have no movement at its point ofconnection therewith other than the motion or vibration transmittedthereto by the stem 3. By reducing the thickness of the structure toproduce the neck 1, the vibration of the tongue 9 and the supportedspring is not retarded. Furthermore by supporting the resonator asdescribed, it exerts no pressure against the sounding board and,therefore, does not tend to dampen the tone produced.

While the structure thus far described and as shown in Figures 1 and 2shows the resonator mounted on a supporting means separate from thesounding board, it is to be understood that it can be mounted directlyon the sounding board as shown for example in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. Byreferring to Fig. 3 a block I5 is secured directly to the rib 16 of thesounding board ll. The resonator I8 is secured to this block in the samemanner as is the one thus far described and it is likewise provided withan intermediate neck IS, a weight 20, and a spring 2| all positioned andoperating as disclosed in connection with Figs. 1 and 2.

It has also been found in practice that under some conditions it may bedesirable to mount the resonator on the bass bridge of the piano. InFigs. 4 and 5 a portion of the bass bridge has been shown at 22, thesame being secured in the usual manner to a sounding board 28. Theresonator is attached at one end to this bridge by means of screws 24 orthe like and if desired spacing elements 25 may be interposed betweenthe resonator and the bridge. In other respects the resonator shown inFig. is the same as the one shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, theattached end 26 being spaced from a slotted end portion 27 by a neck 28and a spring 29 being stretched longitudinally of the slot 30, asillustrated in Fig. 4. A weight 3| is also provided adjacent to the freeend of the resonator.

In practice the resonators shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 all act in the sameadvantageous manner as do the forms shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the strings joinedto the bass bridge have beenindicated at 32.

What is claimed is:

1. A resonator for the sounding board of a musical instrument includingan elongated element having a freely supported end, means for fixedlyjoining the other end to a sounding board, an intermediate portion ofsaid element being reduced in thickness to provide a neck, and atensioned coiled spring carried by the free end portion of the elementand having its convolutions spaced from said element.

2. A resonator for the sounding board of a musical instrument includingan elongated vibratory element having a reduced intermediate portion,means for fixedly connecting said element to a sounding board at oneside of the reduced intermediate portion, and a constantly tensionedcoiled spring carried. by the other end portion of said element andpositioned with its convolutions spaced from the element.

3. A resonator for the sounding board of a musical instrument includingan elongated vibratory element having a reduced intermediate portion,means for fixedly connecting said element to a sounding board at oneside of the reduced intermediate portion, a constantly tensioned coiledspring carried by the other end portion of said element and positionedwith its convolutions spaced from the element, and a weight carried bythe free end portion of the element.

ARCHIE M. TYSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,634,669 Jones July 5, 19271,258,491 Sprinkle Mar. 5, 1918 563,113 Wollenhaupt June 30, 18961,700,395 Yukl Jan. 29, 1929 685,920 Heck Nov. 5, 1901 1,588,730 HesselJune 15, 1926

